Leveraging CSO Contributions to Advance Polio Transition and Integration Efforts in the African Region
The United Nations Foundation is pleased to share the newly released report, “Leveraging CSO Contributions to Advance Polio Transition and Integration Efforts in the African Region”, co-created with the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations (CCRDA) in Ethiopia; Impact Health Organization (IHO) in South Sudan; Vaccine Network for Disease Control (VNDC) in Nigeria; and VillageReach in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The report highlights the critical role of civil society in advancing polio transition and integration efforts in Africa and outlines key recommendations to expand and enhance the civil society's contributions to this crucial work.
Key Findings
CSOs are invaluable partners in the polio transition and integration process due to their understanding of community needs; trust and credibility with community stakeholders; advocacy and accountability to governments; and networks to amplify messages and increase impact. Overall CSOs support polio transition and integration in the following areas:
- Elevating the awareness and sense of urgency for polio transition and integration;
- Advocating for domestic funding with key decision makers; and
- Integrating polio into other health services.
Key Recommendations
Key recommendations for stakeholders to further leverage CSO strengths for polio transition and integration at national and subnational levels include: Ensuring greater collaboration and coordination between governments and other stakeholders with CSOs; Strengthening capacity of CSOs to engage in advocacy and policy dialogue related to polio transition and integration; and Actively including CSOs in the whole process of planning and implementing polio transition and integration activities.
As part of this project, CCRDA and the CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) in Ethiopia, developed a 15-minute documentary that explores the process of integration and transition of polio experiences and assets in Ethiopia. You can view the video here.
For further information, please contact Elizabeth Thrush, Senior Officer for Polio and Immunization Advocacy -